Meetings
by raichy
Summary: AU Rory Jess pairing. they meet on the bus journey to and from school or work. Each unaware of who the other is.
1. A Beginning

**A/N- OK, so I know you're all kinda waiting for the next chapter of my other story but I'm having a little case of writers block. So to try and get rid of the writers block I'm gonna begin a story I've had in my head for months. It's a Rory/Jess pairing and completely AU. They meet in totally different way and Jess is a year older than Rory in this version. **

**Disclaimer- Not mine so please don't sue… **

**(A/N most of the dialogue between R/J in this chapter is taken from the second season this is the work of ASP not me)**

**Chapter 1- A Beginning**

"So honey, this is you're last first day of high school. How's it feel?" mum looks at me expectantly from the foot of my bed.

"Well, excited and a little sad at the same time. I mean I won't miss the uniform for a minute. But I like school and I'm looking forward to Harvard and everything but it's still a scary concept. So I'm going to have a great year and hope everything goes ok." I mumble through my tiredness. I glance at my alarm clock wearily "You know what I don't understand though?" I ask rhetorically but mum answers me anyway.

"The meaning of life… well you shouldn't feel bad about that babe no-one's quite got that yet anyway." She smiles.

"Good guess… but no. What I don't understand is how every other year on the first day of school I have had to drag you're lazy self out of bed and this year you get me up at six o'clock."

"Well I had a bit of trouble sleeping last night. You see after we watched the breakfast club and footloose and you went to bed I was still buzzed on the sugar…"

"Oh no…" I think I know where this is going.

"So I watched it again"

"Mum I know you love the film but you have to remember that Pretty in Pink always inspires you to make things so it's best to watch it early in the morning. So what did you make this time?" I ask not really wanting to know the answer.

"You're prom dress. But it's not finished yet" She confesses.

"What! You're kidding. It's not prom for nine more months. Oh good god… it's not pink is it?" I ask panicked. The last time she watched that movie without me she ended up making me a whole load of pink fluffy tools with rhinestones and bows for the 'rebuilding together' project I was taking part in the next day.

"No it's not pink. But I'm not going to tell you what colour it is or even show it to you until a month before prom to make sure it fits and make any necessary adjustments."

"So first you wake me up early to tell me you made my prom dress then you tell me that I can't see it for eight months. You're logic astounds me sometimes." I grumble and pull my blankets over my head in a vain attempt to go back to sleep. I hear my mum exit the room and her footsteps retreat to the living room, then I hear them come back again.

"So Luke's in ten minutes?" she asks in a hopeful voice.

"Fifteen" I answer and sigh as I get out of bed and walk to my wardrobe. Time to dress for my last first day of high school… like I have a choice what to wear…Ha!

--- --- --- --- ---

"Hey Luuuuuuuke" my mum says in a mocking tone trying to get Luke's attention. He's on the phone so you can't really blame him for answering.

"Hang on a minute would ya. I'm in the middle of something more important than you're blueberry pancakes."

"Well that was a little harsh" She grumbles to me. "He must be talking to Taylor." She assumes and grabs a menu and glances at the bottom right corner and notices that it's bare and grabs a biro from her purse and doodles her name in a flamboyant text onto the menu. It's a great ambition of hers to hit every menu so that one day people will ask Luke who she is since her name is on every menu.

"You're kidding right? Please tell me you're pulling my leg, please?" Luke's asks into the phone, rather loudly.

"No you just can't do that!" he yells.

"It's definitely Taylor" mum says as she leans back to admire her handiwork.

"You're not stable enough to get married." He says now sounding exasperated now.

"Yeah it's Taylor" I agree and we giggle slightly.

"And you WHAT!" Luke looks rather sick now. "I can't believe this! I'll talk to you later I have work to do." He states and then promptly slammed the phone down. I feel rather sorry for him as he reaches up and pinches the bridge of his nose between his forefinger and thumb. The feeling of numbness in the brain is one a lot of people experience after an incident with Taylor Doose, market owner and town selectmen extraordinaire (or sol he thinks).

"What would you like?" he asks finally taking out a pen and order pad and looking at us expectantly."

"An explanation of why you have such a strong opinion on Taylor's recent nuptials." My mum asked with an astonishingly straight face and added "I think he and Al will be really happy together."

"That was my sister." Luke explains.

"Oh, why can't she get married?" she asks. "She a nun or something?"

"My head case of a sister shouldn't get married because she has a very bad history concerning men. You think Miss Patty's track record is impressive? You should evaluate hers. Her first husband abandoned her once his kid was born and the 2 others she's had since took her for all she had before bolting."

"Oh… well maybe she got Lucky this time." Mum says, ever the optimist.

"Well apparently I'm going to find out. She was calling to tell me that she, her new husband and her son, Jess, have moved to Woodbridge" (A/N I think that's the name of one of the other towns or its Woodbury but who cares, right?) he says with a little more venom than he probably intended.

"Oh so we'll get to meet your sister and nephew that's great. "How old is Jess?" mum asks.

"Nineteen this year." Luke answers. "Apparently he managed to find some job in Hartford."

"Well that's good." Mum states. And everyone's a little quiet.

"So a cherry Danish and a coffee to go please Luke?" I ask.

"You're not staying to eat." Mum looks at me accusingly "Why?"

"I want to find my new locker and find the best way around before the day starts and, if possible, have a chat with Paris about the plans for our student government initiation on Wednesday."

"Ok well, don't work to hard k sweets."

"Ok mum." I take the bag and disposable cup from Luke and head for the door. "Have a good day. Bye Luke."

"Did she just tell me to have a good day when I told her my sister is coming by?" Luke asks watching Rory walk out the door and across the street.

"I'm sure she's not that bad" Lorelai comments.

"You never had any siblings did you?" he asks

"No, but…"

"You will never understand."

--- --- --- --- ---

I open my book and pick up where I left off as t sit waiting for the bus.

"Hey there." A voice whispers gently in my ear. I turn and smile as Dean leans in for a kiss.

"Hi" I say after he pulls away. "I wasn't expecting to see you today."

"Well I have plans to meet some of the guys for a round of basket ball before school starts." He tells me.

"So am I seeing you later?" I ask hopefully. We didn't get much time together this summer with me being in Washington and stuff.

"Sure, I'll meet you in Luke's at 5, ok?"

"Yeah, great." I say stowing my book back in my bag as the bus pulls up. "Bye" I say.

"Later" he replies, kissing me again before he turns and heads in the direction of his school. I like that he doesn't go to Chilton, those two parts of my life are better separate. I get on the bus and take my usual seat. I retrieve my book from the depths of my back pack and begin reading again.

"The fountain head?" a voice questions. I look up. Sat across from me is a guy with dark hair that contrasts with his light hazel eyes one eyebrow raised questioningly.

"Yeah, why?"

"How can you read it?" he asks.

"Well this is the third time I've read it." I admit smiling.

"Really I never managed to finish it myself" he says as he moves and takes the seat next to me.

"Are you serious? It's a classic." I defend the book.

"Maybe, But Ayn Rand was a political nut." He counters.

"Well no-one could write a forty page monologue the way she could," I point out.

"I'll have to give it another shot." He concedes glancing down. He catches sight of the other books in my bag. "These for work or pleasure?" he asks lifting a few to get a better look.

"Pleasure." I read a lot. Do you read much?"

"Not much." He answers simply. "The complete short stories of Ernest Hemingway" he reads one of the titles.

"Yeah, you can borrow it if you want, I can't seem to get into it."

"Really?" You should give him a chance, after all Ernest only has lovely things to say about you."

All I can do is smile at this outright and obvious flirt, not really sure what I could respond with. Luckily he spares me the trouble.

"Well this is my stop coming up, so I have to go. Bye…" he pauses as if waiting for something.

"Bye"

"So you're not going to tell me your name?" he asks.

"Rory, my name is Rory."

"Bye Rory."

I look down at my book and realise I don't know his name, I look up to ask but he's already gone. I look out of the window and I see him wave. I wave back. My instincts tell me that this is going to be an interesting year.

--- --- --- --- ---

"So I ought to be going then?" Lorelai says finishing her coffee." Lots to do at the Inn and Fran has agreed to meet me and Sookie again about buying the Dragonfly. It seems she's changed her mind about selling after all."

"Well that's great" Luke smiles cheerily. "But that's not great" he says as something catches his eye through the window.

Lorelai turned and saw a short woman with blonde hair accompanied by a man with short black hair. "Is that…?"

"That's Liz." Luke answered as the couple walked through the door.

"Big brother." Liz say's as a form of greeting before rushing up to Luke and throwing her arms around him.

"Boy am I glad I know he's your brother or else I might be very jealous." The man says.

"Oh, Luke this is my husband TJ." Liz introduces. "And who's this?" she asks catching sight of Lorelai who's been silently watching the exchange.

"Oh, this is Lorelai she runs the independence inn."

"And I'm a good friend and loyal customer of your brothers too." She chips in.

"Yeah, friend and customer." Luke repeats stupidly.

"He keeps me alive in the sense that he has all the coffee I could ever need." Lorelai says smiling to try and ease the tension in the room.

"Liz, why would you move back here? You hate it. You got away as soon as you could." Luke asks staring intently at his sister.

Lorelai sensing a Luke rant approaching quickly said "I'm going to get to the Inn. See you later Luke, nice to meet you Liz."

--- --- --- --- ---

"Look all I'm saying is you had better get it down by Wednesday because I'm not having anything screw up our first day in office."

"Goodbye Paris" I say in a tone that firmly said 'I'm done with this conversation' and start walking over to the bus stop.

She's totally screwing over my vice presidential speech for our swearing in ceremony on Wednesday. It's a perfectly good speech in my eyes but Paris wants it to be more uplifting.

Luckily enough the bus didn't take to long to arrive and when I had found myself a seat I pulled out my notebook and began thinking of ways to incorporate a more inspiring message. I get halfway through my speech when the bus makes a stop and I hear something that makes me smile.

"Well, well, well, we meet again."

It's the guy from this morning. "Hi"

He takes the seat next to me and glances down at my notebook. "Bloody hell, reading this morning, writing this afternoon, when does the arithmetic kick in?" He smiles. He has an easy, honest kind of smile that reaches his eyes.

"Well, I have to confess, math isn't really my thing." I reply.

"I have something to confess too." He says smiling some more. He reaches into his bag, which I hadn't noticed earlier and pulls out a book. I glance at the title. 'The complete short stories of Ernest Hemmingway'.

"You brought a copy?" I ask. "I told you I'd lend you mine." I say remembering our conversation from this morning.

"It is yours." He admits.

"You stole my book!" I say shocked.

"Nope, borrowed it." He says "I just wanted to put some notes in the margins for you."

Curious I open the book and glance at a few of the pages, seeing the notes scrawled on the side of the pages. I read one and look up. "You've read this before?" it's not so much of a question as a statement.

"About forty times." He smiles again.

"I thought you said you didn't read much?"

"Well, what is much?"

I smile at this. I find it so weird that I can fall into conversation so easily with someone I only met 7 or so hours ago.

"Hey isn't this your stop coming up?" he asks.

Glancing up I realize he's right. I return my things to my rucksack and stand up. "Hey you never told me your name." I say.

"Just call me Dodger." He says smiling… again.

"Dodger?" I ask

"Figure it out." He says.

I walk towards the door, then smile and turn back. "Oliver twist" I say loud enough for him to hear. He just smiles and nods. I get off the bus and glance up at the windows, just to see. He smiles and waves, I wave back. Yep, senior year is definitely going to be an interesting one.

**Hopefully this has got that writers block shoved right out of me and my other story will have an update very soon. Please don't forget to review in love knowing what ppl think of my writing, but if it's bad please be constructive. **


	2. Chapter Two

**Sorry it's been a while since I updated I'm totally freaked about my a level results that I get in 2 days time. I'm panicked beyond belief. I swear applying to University is the most stressful thing I've ever done.**

**Thanks for all the nice reviews I received for the fist chapter. Anyhow. On with the show- or story. **

Disclaimer- The characters and places in this story are not of my creation and no money is being made from this fan fic.

Chapter 2

Rory awoke early on Tuesday morning and groaned at the memory of yesterday's argument with Dean. She'd been at Luke's at 5 as planned but was working on her speech. Dean couldn't understand why they'd met up at all if she was going to be spending more time concentrating on a piece of paper than him. Why couldn't he understand that this was for Harvard?

She decided not to dwell on it. Things with Dean usually had a way of straightening themselves out. Instead she devoted her mind to the tasks of dressing and making coffee and pop-tarts (a much more useful activity).

It wasn't long before the smell of caffeine overwhelmed Lorelai and she joined her daughter in the kitchen.

"Hey you were in when I got home last night what happened? I thought you were spending time with Dean." She asked adding sugar to her cup of liquid energy.

"I was but then he got jealous." Rory explained.

"Of what?" Lorelai was puzzled.

"My notebook." She said sarcastically.

"What?"

"I had to work on my speech yesterday and he couldn't deal with that."

"Wow you're starting to sound a little like Paris now. The power has gone to your head before you've even started in office." Lorelai quipped trying to lighten Rory's mood.

"He doesn't understand that it's to get me into Harvard. Just because he doesn't want to go to college doesn't mean the rest of us want to stay in star's hollow forever." Rory said.

"He's just missing spending time with you Hun. He knows you have big plans for your future but he just wants to be a bigger part of your present." Lorelai rationalised, a sign that the coffee was taking effect.

"I'll call him tonight. I have to go. Paris wants a final run through before tomorrow, I swear she just doesn't stop."

"Ok I'll see you later. Fran's letting us know today whether we can have the Inn. So we might go celebrate or find somewhere to wallow in our misery with Sookie."

Rory headed out. She was glad her mom and Sookie were moving forward with the Inn. It'd be good for her mom to have something to obsess about next year when she was away at Harvard. As she reached the bus stop she wondered about her new friend 'Dodger'. Would he be on the bus again?

As the bus pulled up she pulled her note cards out of her pocket. She needed to know this speech word for word if she wanted Paris to calm down a little. She got on the bus and glances around. No sign of her mysterious new friend so she sat down, a little disappointed and continued reading her note cards. She was so absorbed in her memorizing of the words in front of her that she was startled when a voice behind her spoke.

"Well, Hello there."

She smiled, recognising the voice. "Hi there."

"So, what're you working on?" He asked seeing the cards in Rory's hands.

"Same thing as yesterday. My Student-body-vice presidential-swearing in ceremony speech" She replied (what a mouthful).

"So you're a politician, should I be afraid?" he says jokily.

"Not of me, Paris, however… she's the one who made me run for the position, she convinced me that it would help me get into Harvard at the same time as making her seem not too scary. She was convinced she'd never get voted as Student Body President unless I ran with her. She was concerned that people thought her intimidating. And I guess she was right seeing as she intimidated me into running with her. I never wanted to be involved in politics, I just wanted to write about them." Rory stops abruptly. Realising that she was ranting uncontrollably. "Sorry, I never usually talk this much."

"Don't worry about it." Dodger says. "So that's your plan then, Harvard?"

"Yeah, I've been dreaming about it my whole life." She admits.

"What then?" he asks seemingly interested.

"I'm gonna be a journalist."

"Really? Paula Zahn?" he asks.

"Christiane Amapour"

"Your going to be an overseas correspondent." He says disbelievingly.

"Yes. What about you." She asks

"Well right now I'm working at a small publishing house in Hartford to earn money for college next year."

"What do you want to study?"

"Literature. I want to be a writer."

"So you fell pray to the lure of the written word too huh?" she asks.

"yup. Isn't this your stop?" he asks glancing out of the window.

"Yeah it is." she couldn't believe she was continuously missing her own stops but he remembered them. "Oh no." Rory say's suddenly worried for her own health.

"What?" he asks concerned.

"That's Paris" I say pointing out of the window at the blonde who's face was an unlikely shade of red, "and she looks like she's about to have a meltdown." She says almost frightfully

"Well then I wish you luck" He says smiling.

"Thanks, I have the feeling I'm gonna need it. See you later" She says.

"We'll see" he reply's winking cheekily and taking a book from his jacket pocket.

--- --- --- --- ---

"Luke, I was thinking." I say approaching my favourite coffee distributor.

"Hang on, I get the feeling I should sit down first." He says putting down the coffee pot.

"Why?" I ask confused.

"Because when you think too much the results are often very dangerous."

"Actually this idea is practically harmless." I say in a tone that possibly contradicted that statement.

"Practically?" he repeats sceptically.

"Will you hear me out first." I ask.

"Okay you have about thirty seconds until Cesar cremates something so shoot." He says. I never realised just how impatient he can be sometimes.

"Well I'm on my way to meet Sookie and Fran. And we'll know In an hours time weather or not we can have the Inn. I'm going to celebrate with Sookie, Jackson and Rory and I was thinking why don't join us and you could invite Lizz, TJ and Jess? Sookie could cook and it'll be just like a private party".

"No. I'm not spending any more time with my sister than necessary." Luke says standing up.

"Please Luke I liked your sister when she was in here the other day. She seemed fun."

"Why'd you want her to come to dinner so badly?" Luke asks suspicious.

"Because she no doubt has lots of funny stories about her big brother." I admit.

"I'll call and ask but she'll probably say no. What time she be at your place if she agrees?"

"Seven. I've got to get going I'll see you and hopefully Liz and co at dinner."

"Sure… and Lorelai?"

"What?" She asks turning at the door.

"Good Luck."

She smiled

--- --- --- --- ---

"We have an Inn." Sookie tells me gleefully through a smile big enough to rival the one she had on the day of her wedding.

"I know" I say through an equally large grin. I swear if I had a mirror right now I would see myself bearing resemblance to the Cheshire cat.

"I am going to cook us a feast tonight. I'm so happy that if Jackson asked me again to consider having 4 in 4 I'd probably say yes." Sookie laughs.

"I'm going to call Rory's cell. She should be on her way home by now. I'll see you later at mine, k?" I say reaching into my purse for my phone.

"Sure, I have to go decide what we're eating later. You know what I'm like with menu's" Sookie reply's as I locate my phone beneath my mascara and another one of Rory's CD's. I really should stop borrowing them. I wave and dial Rory's number as I begin to walk home.

--- --- --- --- ---

"Hey, you survived then?" Dodger asks as I collapse into the seat next to him.

"Barely" I mumble exhausted from the days lessons and the Franklin meeting this afternoon.

"Well, take comfort in the fact that you're not alone."

"Why, what happened to make your day suck?" I ask curious.

"One of our authors is being a total idiot over his next book. I've been on the phone to him for four hours today and it's driving me crazy."

"Oh well, try dealing with Paris for just one day and I bet you she'll have you begging for the idiot writer back." I tell him sincerely.

"You know if you're really that burnt out I know the ultimate way of relaxing."

"Oh really what does that consist of?" I ask smiling.

"There is this bookstore, Three floors filled ceiling to floor with books. Where none of the volumes are in any kind of order so you really have to look through carefully to find a book you like. But there are some real treasures hidden in the rubble. And to top it all off next door is a small Italian place with the best pizza in all Connecticut, or so I'm told. You could join me if you want." He offers smiling.

I think about it. I really have no desire to go back to stars hollow and resume the argument with dean. I haven't got any homework as I finished that after today's Franklin meeting. "Sure I just have to let my mom know." I say taking my cell phone from my pocket. Suddenly it starts to ring. 'mom' flashes up on my caller ID. "Speak of the devil and she shall appear or ring." I say jokingly as I accept the call to hear my mom yelling something really fast.

"Ok, mom, slow down and breathe then say it again." I say

"We got the Inn. It's ours." I hear this time.

"Oh my god! Really? That's fantastic." I say elated.

"Yeah so we're going to celebrate tonight. A party at ours. How far away are you?"

Ooops I totally forgot our plans to celebrate tonight. "Well actually I'm going to be home late today" I say.

"Oh, why?" she asks.

This is the point where I debate with myself. Do I tell mom I made plans with a guy who I only met yesterday and don't even know what his real name is. Or do I make up a more respectable story and lie. I must admit that the idea of having a part of my life that my mom knows nothing about is appealing and before I know it I find myself saying…

"Well now that my speech is up to scratch Paris has asked me to help with hers then we've agreed to work on the Franklin for a while. I wouldn't have agreed but I totally forgot about the inn thing." Well that part was true. If I'd remembered mum had planned to celebrate tonight I wouldn't have agreed to dodger's plan. I decide to negotiate. "How about I do this then tomorrow, me and you celebrate on our own with whichever movies you want" I say.

"Sure. I'll see you later." She concedes. I knew she wouldn't be able to pass up the movie choice. "Don't work too hard. I'll save some of whatever Sookie cooks for you k?"

"All right" I say "bye" I end the call and put my phone back in my pocket.

"why'd you lie" says dodger.

"Well what do you think my mom would say if I told her I met someone yesterday on the bus, I don't know his name or where he's from just that he works in publishing, wants to be a writer and shares some of my interests. And I'm going to grab some pizza and shop for books with him. I'll tell you what she'd say. Nothing. She'd be too busy wondering who'd stolen my phone or which psycho ward to admit me too because that it so not me. I'm not a spontaneous person. I plan things." I say before I realise how close I am to ranting.

"ok well there's a first time for everything I guess." He says.

"I guess so." I reply.

--- --- --- --- ---

**Well there you go over 2 thousand words in that chapter. enjoy and let me know what you think. **


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

**So I know I'm very mean and haven't updated this is a while- ok two years. But a lot has happened in two years. I started university and didn't have much time for writing. I rote a short Prison Break fic last summer but never found the time for this one. But I never start something that I can't finish and I intend of giving it my best shot. Let me know what you think. I love reviews.**

Disclaimer- I am making no money from this.

Chapter three 

"So was I right or was I right?" Dodger asks a playful smirk on his face.

"You were right" I concede taking another large bite out of what could possibly be the best pizza I have eaten.

"And the bookstore?" he questions taking a sip of soda.

"Is my new favourite place." I admit, smiling as I glance at the bulging bag at my feet. I feel slightly guilty for buying so many books at once but once I saw them I just couldn't help myself.

We begin discussing a few of our purchases when my cell rings rather loudly. I check the caller id and upon seeing Dean's name I am forcefully reminded that I do have a life outside of books and pizza however nice it was to pretend otherwise. I could answer but I'm unsure of how the call will go considering our last conversation. Deciding that it's better not to fight in public, or when I have company. I let it go to voicemail and place the phone on the table.

"Not going to get that then?" Dodger asks me, one eyebrow raised.

"Nope" I reply offering no further information.

Apparently he doesn't need me to offer. He reaches forward and turnsthe phone to face him reading "One new voice message from Dean" aloud. "So it's either a brother…"

"I'm an only child" I cut in.

"…Or a boyfriend." He finished "Lovers tiff?"

"Sort of." I admit before remembering this guy is practically a stranger. "Not that's it's your business." I add getting defensive.

"Of course, sorry I asked." he apologizes.

"It's ok. I'm just not so comfortable discussing it with someone I don't really know."

"You know mw a little."

"I don't even know what your real name is." I remind him.

"Ok, there is that. But how much fun would it be if I just told you these things." I admit he had a point. It was kind of fun.

We eat in silence for a minute or two when his cell rings. Like me he checks the caller ID, unlike me he answers, mouthing sorry as he accepts the call.

Whilst he chats away I decide to use the moment to listen to Dean's message. I press a few buttons and raise the phone to my ear.

"Hey Ror, just me. Guess you're busy right now since your not answering. Look, I want to apologise about yesterday. I'm sorry I was a jerk. Can we talk about it?. I'll come over tonight after practice and dinner. At about half seven-ish. See you then. I love you- bye."

I listen to the automated voice waiting for the delete option and put the phone back on the table. I sigh. I'm gonna have to call it a night. As fun as doing something non-Harvard, non- town related was I have a life to get back to. And if I leave now I could make it home in time for mum's celebratory party and get some of Sookie's food when its fresh not just re-heated.

A few more seconds and then Jess hangs up his phone. "I'm really sorry, but I think I'm gonna have to go. That was my mom and as much as I would like to think that I'm an independent nineteen year old man, I'm still living in the same house so I have to do most of what she tells me." He says looking fed up.

"Its ok. I should probably head home anyway. We're having a party at my house tonight." I say.

"What a coincidence. I have to go because we've been invited to a dinner party of sorts." He explains.

"What a strange co-incidence."

"I guess."

We pay our bill and get back on the bus chatting about this and that. As we get close to my stop I turn to say goodbye. "I had fun, thanks for this afternoon. See you on the bus again tomorrow?"

"Sure, but I'm getting off here too." He says.

"Why?" I ask. Curiosity killed the cat and it might kill me too.

"Well the party is close by and mom wants me to meet her in the diner here first." He explains as we get up from our seats.

"Luke's?" I ask knowing there isn't another in town.

"Yeah, you know it?"

"Best coffee in a fifty mile radius" I tell him stepping down from the bus. "We'll see you tomorrow. I say setting off home.

"Yeah, bye" and he walked off in the direction of the diner.

XXX

I walk through the door at a quarter past seven. "Mom I'm home" I call loudly above the music that's already playing.

"Oh I thought you weren't going to be able to make it." She said.

"I manage to calm Paris down in record time so I made it." I lie. For someone not used to it lying is coming pretty easy.

"Well cool. Not everyone is here yet so you're just in time. Take this into the living room." She asks giving me a large plate filled with a vast amount of Sookie's legendary food.

I do as she asks setting it down on the coffee table as the door rings. Mom goes to get it and I hear her talking as I pinch one of the gorgeous looking snacks from the plate and rearrange them so no-one would be able to tell I took one. Like-mother-like-daughter.

Footsteps tell me the guests are making their way to the living room so I chew faster and wipe around my mouth to remove evidence.

"Hunnie, Luke's here and this is his sister Liz, her husband TJ and her son Jess." Mom tells me in her best hostess voice, the one she uses at work.

I turn around, sure that my food stealing will go unnoticed and my jaw falls to the floor.

"Rory!"

"Dodger!"

XXX

**So what's the verdict? A short chapter I know but I wanted to get something up whilst I'm still inspired.**


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